Taproot Length Research Articles

Effect of Nano Urea on Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Grafts Cv. Alphonso

This study aimed to determine the effect of application of foliar spray and drenching of nano urea on growth and survival of mango grafts cv. Alphonso. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications and twelve treatments to assess various concentrations of nano urea at College of Horticulture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India. Treatments applied as a foliar spray and drenching of nano urea at different rates in which treatment of foliar application of nano urea at 1500 ppm showed best performance in survival percentage (95.11 %), graft height (44.99 cm), number of shoots (1.90), number of leaves (31.13), relative growth rate (0.0059 cm/cm/day), dry weight of root (13.44 g) and tap root length (27.10 cm). However, drenching treatment of nano urea at 1500 ppm showed good results in graft girth (10.60 mm) and treatment of foliar spray of nano urea at 500 ppm were found best for total leaf area (654.52 cm2). Among all the nano urea treatments, foliar spray of nano urea at 1500 ppm was the best owing to highest survival and better growth of mango grafts cv. Alphonso.

Growth and Yield Performance of Different Mustard Varieties Grown in Barind Tract Soils of Bangladesh

The present research was conducted to investigate the growth and yield performance of thirteen mustard varieties grown in Chapai Nawabganj district, Bangladesh. Thirteen mustard varieties, viz. “BINA Sarisha-4”, “BINA Sarisha-7”, “BINA Sarisha-9”, “BINA Sarisha-10”, “BARI Sarisha-14”, “BARI Sarisha-15”, “BARI Sarisha-16”, “BARI Sarisha-17”, “BARI Sarisha-18”, an “Indian tall” variety, “Indian short” variety, a Japanese variety “Sarisha” and a local variety were cultivated during “Rabi” (rainy) season 2021-2022. The preparation of land with recommended fertilizer doses, the experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design consisting of three replications. All the growth, yield, and yield attributes significantly differed among the mustard varieties. In growth attributes, the highest value in plant height (149.97 cm), number of leaves per plant (16.77), leaf length (12.33 cm), number of branches per plant (11.40), and tap root length (22.53 cm) for “Indian tall” variety, “Indian short” variety , “BARI Sarisha-18”, “BINA Sarisha-7”, and “Japanese Sarisha”, respectively. In terms of yield and yield attributes, number of siliqua per plant (102.00), siliqua length (6.37 cm), number of grains per siliqua (39.50), grain yield per plot (576.33), 1000-seeds weight (3.75 g), biological yield (5.06 ton.ha-1), and harvest index (35.23%) was highest in the “Indian tall” variety , “BARI Sarisha-14”, “BARI Sarisha-14”, “BINA Sarisha-9”, and “Indian short” variety , respectively. The maximum benefit cost ratio (BCR) was 2.21, observed in “BINA Sarisha-9”. Besides, BCR 1.71 and 1.66 were for “BARI Sarisha-14” and “Japanese Sarisha”, respectively. The findings of the study suggested that “BINA Sarisha-9”, “BARI Sarisha-14”, and “Japanese Sarisha” would be suitable for better productivity and recommended for cultivation in the medium highland of Chapai Nawabganj district of Bangladesh.

La (NO3)3 substantially fortified Glycyrrhiza uralensis’s resilience against salt stress by interconnected pathways

The taproot of Glycyrrhiza uralensis is globally appreciated for its medicinal and commercial value and is one of the most popular medicinal plants. With the decline of wild G. uralensis resources, cultivated G. uralensis has become a key method to ensure supply. However, soil salinization poses challenges to G. uralensis cultivation and affects the yield and quality of it. In this study, the inhibitory effects of NaCl and Na2SO4 on yield and quality of G. uralensis were comprehensively evaluated in a three-year large-scale pot experiment, and the alleviating effects of supplementation with lanthanum nitrate (La (NO3)3) on G. uralensis were further evaluated under salt stress. The findings indicate that La (NO3)3 significantly strengthened the plant's salt tolerance by enhancing photosynthetic capacity, osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant defenses, and cellular balance of ions, which led to a substantial increase in root biomass and accumulation of major medicinal components. In comparison to the NaCl-stress treatment, the 0.75 M La (NO3)3 + NaCl treatment resulted in a 20% and 34% increase in taproot length and biomass, respectively, alongside a 52% and 43% rise in glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizin content, respectively. Similar improvements were observed with 0.75 M La (NO3)3 + Na2SO4 treatment, which increased root length and biomass by 14% and 26%, respectively, and glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizin content by 40% and 38%, respectively. The combined showed that application of La (NO3)3 not only significantly improved the salt resilience of G. uralensis, but also had a more pronounced alleviation of growth inhibition induced by NaCl compared to Na2SO4 stress except in the gas exchange parameters and root growth. This study provides a scientific basis for high-yield and high-quality cultivation of G. uralensis in saline soils and a new approach for other medicinal plants to improve their salt tolerance.Graphical

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Organic Seed Priming Formulations on Germination and Seedling Growth in Acid Lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) cv. Kagzi

The primary objective of this research was to evaluating the effectiveness of organic seed priming formulations on germination and seedling growth in acid lime cv. Kagzi at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, during the period 2020-2021. The study comprised six distinct treatments of organic formulations, including beejamrit, cow urine (50% and 100%), cow dung, cow dung slurry, and control (without soaking). The seeds were soaked for a duration of 24 hours. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications. The study findings revealed that the control (without soaking) exhibited the highest germination percentage (45.17) and germination rate (2.38), followed closely by the beejamrit. Furthermore, the beejamrit treatment demonstrated remarkable seedling growth at 180 days after sowing, with the highest values recorded for seedling diameter (3.23 mm), seedling shoot length (36.90 cm), fresh shoot weight (3.26 g), fresh root weight (1.26 g), tap root length (37.57 cm), and survival percentage (91.50). Cow dung slurry also exhibited notable performance in terms of seedling growth parameters at 180 days after sowing with the beejamrit. Cow dung slurry showcased the highest number of secondary roots (50.00), number of leaves per seedling (31.67), leaf chlorophyll content (33.80 SPAD), and nitrogen content (1.52%), closely followed by the beejamrit treatment. Accelerating the rate of germination and growth of lime seedlings has become a top concern for nurserymen and scientists on a national level to reduce expenditures and time for seedling maintenance. For overcoming such types of problems at the nursery stage, contributing to more resilient and sustainable farming practices using organic seed priming is a good alternative against chemical seed priming.

Organic amendment composition and sowing depth in coffee Arabica: Effects on seedling growth biometrics

There is a significant production of coffee in the Gedeo zone, southern Ethiopia, which has could generate a huge amount of coffee husk wastes that have polluted the environment. However, organically enriching the soil is an effective method to enhance the development and productivity of coffee. Thus, this study aims to understand the effects of the interaction between sowing depth and organic amending practices. Three sowing depths and sixteen different organic amendment compositions were tested in a complete randomized design with three replications. Coffee seedling growth biometrics was measured, and R-program was used to calculate the statistical difference at a 5 % significance level. The organic amendment composition with 3:2:1 (topsoil: forest soil: sand) sown at a depth of 2 cm had statistically higher values of seedling stem height, leaf length, and taproot length by 82.82 %, 93.35 %, and 85.41 % than in the topsoil at a depth of 3 cm. Likewise, the main effect of organic amendment with 3:2:1 (topsoil: forest soil: sand) in internode length, number of nodes per seedling stem, number of true leaves per seedling, and leaf width were also higher by 70.42 %, 63.16 %, 92.23 % and 91.80 % than seedlings grown in topsoil solely. Interestingly, the days of 50 % emergence in 3:2:1 (ratio of topsoil: forest soil: sand) organic amendment composition were earlier by 62.11 days than using topsoil. This could be because of the accessibility of a significant quantity of organic carbon, primary macronutrients, alkaline nature of the growth media in addition to having low bulk and particle densities in the forest soil that could increase coffee seedling growth biometrics by improving soil porosity, aeration and nutrient uptake capacity, producing important soil microbes and neutralizing organic acids in comparison with the topsoil.

Differences of waterlogging tolerance in winter pulse crop between emergence and vegetative stages

AbstractPulse production is decreased when grown on waterlogged soil in rice‐based cropping. This study evaluated four pulse crops—grass pea, field pea, cowpea and lentil—to find out their responses to waterlogging (WL) stress at emergence and vegetative stages. The treatment levels at emergence were drained control, 4‐, 7‐ and 10‐day WL, while in the vegetative stage they were drained control, 6‐, 10‐ and 14‐day WL. In the emergence stage, %emergence was significantly reduced as WL duration increased. After 10‐day WL, emergence was reduced to 65% for grass pea, 30% for field pea, 5% for lentil and 7% for cowpea. At the vegetative stage, in both the WL and recovery phases, the WL treatment reduced plant height, tap root length, shoot and root dry mass compared to those in drained control with a significant difference in crops. In recovery as compared to the WL phase at 14‐day WL, the chlorophyll content was increased 15% in cowpea and 14% in grass pea but decreased in field pea (26%) and lentil (35%). Similarly, in the recovery phase at 14‐day WL, shoot relative growth rates (RGRs) of cowpea, grass pea, field pea and lentil were 20, 66, 10 and 5 mg plant−1 d−1; which were 66%, 70%, 8% and 14% of drained control, respectively. The RGR of root at 14‐day WL was also higher in cowpea and grass pea with the rate of 13.8 and 16 mg−1 plant−1 d−1, respectively; in sharp contrast to a reduction of −4.3 mg−1 plant−1 d−1 in field pea and −3.9 mg−1 plant−1 d−1 for lentil than drained control. Furthermore, the higher number of adventitious roots was found in cowpea (14) and grass (9) pea than in field pea (6) and lentil (4). Comparison between growth stages, grass pea was tolerant to WL in both stages. Cowpea was WL sensitive at emergence, but tolerant to vegetative stage. Field pea was moderately tolerant to emergence but was sensitive at vegetative stage. Lentil was sensitive at WL at both stages. These novel insights will allow the fitting of winter pulses to various cropping systems according to the perceived risk of WL at various growth stages.

Performance of seedlings and yield of soybean genotypes under soil compaction

AbstractThe identification of soybean genotypes tolerant to soil compaction makes it possible to reduce productivity loss under stress conditions. Added to this, the prior selection of these genotypes will result in greater assertiveness in the positioning of cultivars in the field. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the susceptibility of soybean genotypes to compaction in greenhouse and field conditions; verify which characteristics of seedlings under high resistance to root penetration are correlated with crop production in compacted soil; and to validate the substrate mechanical impedance method for evaluating the susceptibility of plant genotypes to soil compaction. Seeds of 20 genotypes were sown in a substrate mechanical impedance system under controlled conditions. The characteristics evaluated were total root length, total root surface area, mean root diameter, total root volume, taproot length, shoot length, root dry matter and seedling shoot dry matter. In the field experiment, half of the planting area was compacted, constituting two treatments, soil with and without compaction. The percentage of seedling emergence, initial plant height, stem diameter, number of nodes, internode length, number of lateral branches, shoot dry matter, final plant height, absolute and relative growth rate, number of pods, weight of 100 seeds and grain yield. In addition, the number of days between soybean sowing until plant flowering and grain harvest was recorded according to genotype and soil compaction level. In a controlled environment, genotypes tolerant to soil compaction show greater plasticity of root characteristics and smaller alterations in the shoot of seedlings. In the field, these genotypes show smaller reductions in growth rate, height, number of pods and grain yield. The shoot dry matter and the root dry matter of soybean seedlings in a mechanical impedance system present a positive and negative correlation, respectively, with soybean yield in compacted soil, indicating that the genetically determined susceptibility to soil compaction stress was similar throughout ontogenesis. The substrate mechanical impedance system used to evaluate the performance of soybean seedlings under stress, facilitates the decision‐making in breeding programs focused on identifying genotypes expressing soil compaction tolerance.

Temporal phenotypic variation of spinach root traits and its relation to shoot performance

The root system is important for the growth and development of spinach. To reveal the temporal variability of the spinach root system, root traits of 40 spinach accessions were measured at three imaging times (20, 30, and 43 days after transplanting) in this study using a non-destructive and non-invasive root analysis system. Results showed that five root traits were reliably measured by this system (RootViz FS), and two of which were highly correlated with manually measured traits. Root traits had higher variations than shoot traits among spinach accessions, and the trait of mean growth rate of total root length had the largest coefficients of variation across the three imaging times. During the early stage, only tap root length was weakly correlated with shoot traits (plant height, leaf width, and object area (equivalent to plant surface area)), whereas in the third imaging, root fresh weight, total root length, and root area were strongly correlated with shoot biomass-related traits. Five root traits (total root length, tap root length, total root area, root tissue density, and maximal root width) showed high variations with coefficients of variation values (CV ≥ 0.3, except maximal root width) and high heritability (H2 > 0.6) among the three stages. The 40 spinach accessions were classified into five subgroups with different growth dynamics of the primary and lateral roots by cluster analysis. Our results demonstrated the potential of in-situ phenotyping to assess dynamic root growth in spinach and provide new perspectives for biomass breeding based on root system ideotypes.

Integrating Root Morphology Based on Whole-Pullout Test of Model Roots: A Case Study

To investigate the sensitivity and significance of different morphological characteristics of plant root systems on vertical pullout resistance, this study considered four main influencing factors: the number of lateral roots, taproot length, the branching angle of the lateral root, and the unit weight of the soil around the root. PC plastic model roots were employed to conduct a vertical pullout orthogonal experiment. A comprehensive μX theoretical analysis method based on the whole root system pullout test was applied for a stress analysis on root segments. Based on the results, the factors affected the vertical pullout resistance of plant root systems in the order of number of lateral roots > taproot length > unit weight of soil around the root > branching angle of the lateral root. When the number of lateral roots increased from 2 to 3, the vertical pullout resistance increased by 64%. Also, when the taproot length increased from 50 to 60 cm, the vertical pullout resistance increased by up to 46%. Furthermore, the unit weight of soil around the roots had a positive linear correlation with vertical pullout resistance. Based on the results, the number of lateral roots and the taproot length were the primary factors affecting the magnitude of the root system’s vertical pullout resistance. When selecting plants for slope protection, plant types with a larger number of lateral roots and longer taproots should be considered as the two most significant factors for achieving a better slope protection methodology.

Comprehensive Genome-Wide Identification of the RNA-Binding Glycine-Rich Gene Family and Expression Profiling under Abiotic Stress in Brassica oleracea.

The RNA-binding glycine-rich proteins (RBGs) of the glycine-rich protein family play vital roles in regulating gene expression both at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. However, the members and functions in response to abiotic stresses of the RBG gene family remain unclear in Brassica oleracea. In this study, a total of 19 BoiRBG genes were identified through genome-wide analysis in broccoli. The characteristics of BoiRBG sequences and their evolution were examined. An analysis of synteny indicated that the expansion of the BoiRBG gene family was primarily driven by whole-genome duplication and tandem duplication events. The BoiRBG expression patterns revealed that these genes are involved in reaction to diverse abiotic stress conditions (i.e., simulated drought, salinity, heat, cold, and abscisic acid) and different organs. In the present research, the up-regulation of BoiRBGA13 expression was observed when subjected to both NaCl-induced and cold stress conditions in broccoli. Moreover, the overexpression of BoiRBGA13 resulted in a noteworthy reduction in taproot lengths under NaCl stress, as well as the inhibition of seed germination under cold stress in broccoli, indicating that RBGs play different roles under various stresses. This study provides insights into the evolution and functions of BoiRBG genes in Brassica oleracea and other Brassicaceae family plants.

Coordination of Root Traits and Rhizosphere Microbial Community in Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Plants under Drought and Rehydration

Soil drought and rehydration have an immense impact on plant physiology and productivity, whereas the response of plant–microbe interactions to varied water availability remains largely elusive. In this study, two tea (Camellia sinensis L.) cultivars, Longjing43 and Yingshuang, were subjected to drought followed by rehydration. Soil drought significantly induced the elongation of taproots in the Yingshuang cultivar after two weeks of drought. Moreover, the four-week drought significantly reduced the root dry mass and root nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations in both tea cultivars. Two-week rehydration recovered the root potassium concentration in the two tea cultivars, revealing the rapid response of root potassium levels to water conditions. Drought and rehydration also resulted in shifts in rhizosphere microbial diversity. A four-week drought reduced microbial alpha diversity in Longjing43 but not in the Yingshuang cultivar, and rehydration was effective in restoring alpha diversity in Longjing43. The rhizosphere microbial community tended to recover to the initial stages after rehydration in Longjing43 but not in the other cultivar. In addition, 18 microbial genera were identified as the featured microbial taxa in response to varied water availability, and a rare genus Ignavibacterium was significantly increased in the Longjing43 cultivar by rehydration after a four-week drought. Furthermore, root nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium levels, and dry mass were positively correlated with the microbial alpha diversity, while the taproot length was negatively correlated, suggesting the crucial role of plant–microbe interactions in response to drought and rehydration. Moreover, the root phosphorus concentration and taproot length also had significant effects on microbial beta diversity, further confirming their effects on the community structure of the rhizosphere microbiome. Overall, this study provides insights into the effects of drought on plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere of tea plants. These findings are important for harnessing the roles of the tea rhizosphere microbiome under drought.

Effects of AMF inoculation on the growth, photosynthesis and root physiological morphology of root-pruned Robinia pseudoacacia seedlings.

Root pruning hinders the absorption and utilization of nutrients and water by seedlings in the short term. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are an important source of nutrient and water for seedlings except for the root system. However, the mechanism by which AMF affect the physiological growth of seedlings after root pruning has rarely been studied. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted through a three-compartment partition system to clarify the effects of Funneliformis mosseae (F. mosseae) strain BGC XJ07A on the physiological growth of root-pruned Robinia pseudoacacia seedlings. Five root pruning treatments (zero, one-fifth, one-fourth, one-third and one-half of the taproot length were removed) were applied to noninoculated seedlings and those inoculated with F. mosseae. The results showed that the presence of F. mosseae significantly increased the shoot and root biomasses, leaf photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. The root projected area, root surface area, average root diameter, root density, root volume and number of root tips of the inoculated seedlings were higher than those without inoculation in all root pruning treatments. The root cytokinin, gibberellins and indole-3-acetic acid concentrations, but root abscisic acid concentration, were higher than those measured in the absence of inoculation in all root pruning treatments. Moreover, the changes in the root endogenous hormone concentrations of the seedlings were closely related to the root morphological development and seedling biomass. The AMF increased the soil available nitrogen, soil available phosphorus, soil available potassium and soil organic matter concentrations compared with the noninoculated treatment. These results indicate that AMF can alleviate the adverse effects of root pruning on the physiological growth of R. pseudoacacia and soil properties, and can provide a basis for AMF application to forest cultivation and the sustainable development of forest ecosystems.

Influence of Biomass Characters of Different Grafted Scion on the Rootstock of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) under Shade Net Condition of Prayagraj Region, India

The experiment was conducted during the year 2019-20 & 2021-22, at Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Prayagraj with the object to study the success and initial Biomass characters of the grafts of some important varieties of mango under net house condition. The experiment consists of ten different varieties of mango Amrapali, KishanBhog, Gulabkhas, Kesar, Totapuri, Dasheri, Malgoa, Himsagar, Nisar Pasand & Bombay Green as treatments and replicated thrice in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The results of present investigation clearly showed that, grafts of different mango varieties studied had a significant influence on the maximum values of biomass characters like Length of tap root (25.97 cm), No. of secondary roots (37.73) was recorded in kesar. Fresh shoot weight (19.37 g) , Dry shoot weight (g) (11.19 g), Fresh root weight (9.66 g), Dry root weight (5.04 g ) was found maximum in Dasheri. Shoot root ratio (Fresh on weight basis) (2.75g) and Shoot root ratio (Dry on weight basis) (2.77 g) was maximum in Amrapali.

Suitability of some growing media for cashew seedling growth and development in the nursery

Abstract. Using the right growing media is pivotal for cultivating high-quality seedlings. While topsoil remains a prevalent choice in nurseries, there is a growing need to explore its effectiveness in cashew seedling production and find potential alternatives that might reduce our dependence on it. A three-month experiment was undertaken at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria’s nursery. The setup followed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) incorporating ten treatment variations, each replicated thrice. These treatments involved two cashew nut types, Jumbo and Medium, and five distinct growing media: 100% Topsoil, 100% Sawdust, 75% Topsoil + 25% Sawdust, 50% Topsoil + 50% Sawdust, and 25% Topsoil + 75% Sawdust. For the procedure, each of these media was filled into perforated polythene bags measuring 30cm x 15cm, with one seed planted per bag. Data collected were on % emergence, morphological, shoot and root data. Data were subjected to ANOVA using SAS (version 2010) statistical package and means were separated using DMRT at (P≤0.05). Findings revealed no notable variance in percentage mean emergence at four weeks post-planting or in leaf count at the twelve-week mark. Control treatments (100% topsoil) for jumbo and medium had the shortest plant height, lowest number of leaves, seedling vigour, fresh root weight and taproot length. 100% topsoil as a growing medium for raising cashew seedlings should be discouraged as the experimented growing media offered statistically the same or improved emergence, morphology, and root growth development.

Exogenous Easily Extractable Glomalin-Related Soil Protein Stimulates Plant Growth by Regulating Tonoplast Intrinsic Protein Expression in Lemon.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have the function of promoting water absorption for the host plant, whereas the role of easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), an N-linked glycoprotein secreted by AMF hyphae and spores, is unexplored for citrus plants. In this study, the effects on plant growth performance, root system characteristics, and leaf water status, along with the changes of mineral element content and relative expressions of tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP) genes in lemon (Citrus limon L.) seedlings, were investigated under varying strengths of exogenous EE-GRSP application under potted conditions. The results showed that 1/2, 3/4, and full-strength exogenous EE-GRSP significantly promoted plant growth performance, as well as increased the biomass and root system architecture traits including root surface area, volume, taproot length, and lateral root numbers of lemon seedlings. The four different strengths of exogenous GRSP displayed differential effects on mineral element content: notably increased the content of phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) in both leaves and roots, as well as magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) content in the roots, but dramatically decreased the content of calcium (Ca) and manganese (Mn) in the roots, as well as Zn and Mn in the leaves. Exogenous EE-GRSP improved leaf water status, manifesting as decreases in leaf water potential, which was associated with the upregulated expressions of tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), including ClTIP1;1, ClTIP1;2, ClTIP1;3, ClTIP2;1, ClTIP2;2, ClTIP4;1, and ClTIP5;1 both in leaves and roots, and TIPs expressions exhibited diverse responses to EE-GRSP application. It was concluded that exogenous EE-GRSP exhibited differential responses on plant growth performance, which was related to its strength, and the effects were associated with nutrient concentration and root morphology, especially in the improvement in water status related to TIPs expressions. Therefore, EE-GRSP can be used as a biological promoter in plant cultivation, especially in citrus.

Improvement of Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Seed Germination, Seedling Growth and Chlorophyll Content by Using Growing Medium and Organic Liquid

A pot experiment was conducted during rainy season (July month) of 2019 at nursery unit of Horticulture Department, College of Agriculture, Ummedganj, Kota to evaluate the impact of growing media and cow urine on seed germination, seedling growth and chlorophyll content of papaya (Carica papaya L.) cv. Arka Surya. The experiments were laid out in a factorial complete randomized design with two factors consisting 11 growing media and 2 level of cow urine (with or without). Among different treatments combination used the medium Soil + Sand + Vermiculite + Cocopeat + Perlite (1:1:1:1:1) with cow urine found significantly superior over other treatments and control with respect to lowest days required for first germination (6.17 days) and higher germination percentage (90.24 %). It has given better seedling height (15.48 cm), number of leaves per seedling (9.83) and leaf area (51.85 cm2) at 75 days after sowing. The maximum length of longest tap root (14.20 cm), diameter of tap root (4.12 mm) and root/shoot ratio (0.87) were also found significantly superior in the same treatment as compared to rest of the treatments. Further, it was also found superior with relation to highest chlorophyll (2.50 mg/100g). Therefore, it is recommended this growing medium combination along with cow urine should be used for better germination and growth of papaya seed by orchardist.

Assessment of Potent Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria Isolated from the Olive Tree Rhizosphere Grown on Phosphate Sludge and Their Effect on Common Bean Growth

One of the most restricting macronutrients for crop yield worldwide is phosphorus, which is often less than 1% of the total amount contained in soils. To promote its bioavailability, there are microorganisms considered vital that can solubilize and mineralize their pools in soils. In the current study, we assessed the potential of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), isolated from the olive tree rhizosphere grown on phosphate sludge, to solubilize phosphate, promote plant growth, and tolerate abiotic stresses. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, twenty-four PSB strains were identified and retained for in vitro analysis. According to the results, all the strains were able to solubilize the Moroccan rock phosphate, with soluble phosphate concentrations ranged from 5.34 µg/mL to 227 µg/mL. Furthermore, the majority of the strains are thermo-tolerant and halotolerant. Nonetheless, only five strains produced indole acetic acid. Regarding biocontrol potentialities, several PSB strains were characterized by producing hydrogen cyanide and hydrolytic enzymes (cellulase, and chitinase), of which three strains identified as Pseudomonas moraviensis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus aryabhattai, with a remarkable multi-trait combination were selected for antagonism and co-inoculation tests. The findings revealed that these PSB strains significantly inhibited Fusarium oxysporum (17.65%–62.35%) and Verticillium dahliae (52.35%–66.87%) and promoted common bean growth. The consortium of the three strains showed the best results by significantly increasing both plant height and tap root length and dry biomass compared to individual inoculation. The PSB selected from the olive tree rhizosphere growing on phosphate sludge have the potential to be useful as biofertilizer and biocontrol agents for attaining sustainable food crop production.

Watering Rates and Its Response to Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Genotypes Growth Development

Cocoa genotypes exhibiting different responses to water and watering rates to growth parameters necessitate this study. Seedlings were raised from cocoa hybrids genotypes (CRIN Tc1 – 8) and F3 Amazon. The seeds after 4 days of sowing were subjected to 3 watering rates of 50 ml, 100 ml and 150 ml applied once every two days and arranged in a CRD design between December 2020 - May 2021 at Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) Ibadan Nursery. Data collected include the percentage of germination at 2-4 weeks after sowing (WAS), growth parameter (plant height, girth, leaf area, number of leaves), and destructive sampling (fresh and dry weight of shoot weight, root weight and Taproot length) which were statistically analyzed with SAS tools. The watering rates had no significant effect on cocoa seedling emergence date. Least plant heights were observed when 50ml watering rate was applied on CRINTc-1 (25.00cm), CRINTc-2 (26.53cm), CRINTc-4 (24.10 cm), CRINTc-6 (27.52cm) and CRINTc-8 (28.75cm) at 20WAS. Stem girth, number of leaves and fresh root weight were not significantly enhanced by the watering levels on the cocoa genotypes. The result also reveals that the dry shoot weight was greater than the dry root weight of their corresponding treatments. The 3 watering levels had no considerable effect on the emergence of the cocoa genotypes but influenced the morphological traits, fresh and dry weight of the shoot and root parameters of the cocoa genotypes. 100 ml watering rate applied on the cocoa genotypes performed more appreciably followed by 150 ml.

Analysis of Soil and Crop Parameters for the Development of Power Tiller-Operated Groundnut Digger

Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) is a major oilseed crop and holds an important place in the Indian agricultural economy. Odisha occupies 6th place in the major groundnut-producing states of the country with a total production of 0.388 MT and is grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons. Harvesting is one of the major unit operations in groundnut cultivation and is mechanically harvested by tractor-operated diggers but their use is limited because of small land holdings and high capital costs and is not economical for small and marginal farmers of the state. However, the groundnut diggers to match with power tillers are not commercially available, therefore, efforts were made to develop a single-row groundnut digger operated by a power tiller. The study was conducted to relate the soil and crop parameters for the digger design, which influences the harvesting of groundnut. The design of a power tiller-operated groundnut digger to harvest a single row of groundnut requires the data of soil parameters (soil type, bulk density, cone index and soil moisture content) and crop parameters (plant population, plant height, pod zone, pod spreading radius, taproot length, taproot diameter, pod-vine ratio), suitable for different groundnut varieties. It was found that the majority of groundnut varieties were grown in sandy soils and harvested at 12-15 % soil moisture for more yield with a minimum power requirement. It was observed that for all types of groundnut varieties the plant population, plant height, pod zone depth, pod spreading radius, taproot length, taproot diameter and the number of pods per plant varies from 24-29/m2, 31-49.18 cm, 5.79-6.86 cm, 5.87-9.15 cm, 11.70-13.78 cm, 4.64-5.84 cm and 11-27/plant, respectively.

The genetic architecture of trait covariation in Populus euphratica, a desert tree.

The cooperative strategy of phenotypic traits during the growth of plants reflects how plants allocate photosynthesis products, which is the most favorable decision for them to optimize growth, survival, and reproduction response to changing environment. Up to now, we still know little about why plants make such decision from the perspective of biological genetic mechanisms. In this study, we construct an analytical mapping framework to explore the genetic mechanism regulating the interaction of two complex traits. The framework describes the dynamic growth of two traits and their interaction as Differential Interaction Regulatory Equations (DIRE), then DIRE is embedded into QTL mapping model to identify the key quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that regulate this interaction and clarify the genetic effect, genetic contribution and genetic network structure of these key QTLs. Computer simulation experiment proves the reliability and practicability of our framework. In order to verify that our framework is universal and flexible, we applied it to two sets of data from Populus euphratica, namely, aboveground stem length - underground taproot length, underground root number - underground root length, which represent relationships of phenotypic traits in two spatial dimensions of plant architecture. The analytical result shows that our model is well applicable to datasets of two dimensions. Our model helps to better illustrate the cooperation-competition patterns between phenotypic traits, and understand the decisions that plants make in a specific environment that are most conducive to their growth from the genetic perspective.